More than 90% of hand carwashes in UK employing workers illegally, study finds

Only 7% had undertaken right-to-work checks and just 11% handed out payslips, Nottingham Trent University research reveals

More than 90% of hand carwashes are likely to be employing workers illegally, without proper pay, records and first aid measures, three years after the government backed a voluntary scheme to tackle abuse in the sector.

Surprise inspections of carwashes in Leicester, Suffolk and Norfolk found only 7% had undertaken right-to-work checks, a legal obligation, or could prove that legal employment rights were being upheld.